Racial Discomfort Rides The Roads

After school

Peering into my rearview mirror to find the flashing blue lights of a patrol car always set me on edge when I first started driving.

It didn't matter if a valid driver's license was in my wallet.

It didn't matter if an insurance card and vehicle registration papers were neatly tucked away in the glove compartment of my freshly painted '67 Ford Fairlane. (What a ride!)

It didn't matter if my turn signals, brake lights and all other mechanical functions worked like a charm.

What mattered to me in those situations was the mood and professionalism exhibited by the officer stepping out of the patrol car, radio cackling, revolver nestled in his holster. Then, like now, I never knew what to expect.

In fairness to cops of yesterday and today, they probably didn't either. But there we'd be along a sometimes desolate road - a young, edgy black kid and a just-as-edgy white lawman with a gun.

The Rodney King verdict and its violent aftermath got me to thinking about the relationship between cops and blacks. We, as blacks, automatically and unfortunately label police officers enemies - more so than any other ethnic group.

But history and current events such as the King beating breed an atmosphere of ''us vs. them.'' Verified stories of unprovoked police brutality against minorities, especially black males, keep that feeling alive.

''Any black male over the age of 2 has that strong feeling of anxiety about what is going to happen when he is stopped on the road,'' said Emmit Hunt, a sociology instructor at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

It's definitely not my intent to breed paranoia in the minds of black males about encounters with law enforcement officers who happen to be white. But I do hope all Lake County high school drivers, especially black males drivers, read this column and take heed.

I am offering these tips so exchanges between young drivers and law enforcement officers can be cordial. Maybe some lives will be saved in the process.

Here goes:

- Pull over as soon as you notice an officer trying to stop you. Once stopped, never make any sudden moves or reach for anything - not even your wallet or vehicle registration papers.

- If you have tinted windows, roll them down. Place your hands on the steering wheel in plain view of the officer.

- Don't get out of the car unless you are told to. In fact, don't do anything unless you are asked to.

- And always be polite: ''Good evening, officer. What seems to be the problem?''

''But I don't think race and sex create the anxiety factor,'' Putman said. ''When I was a patrol officer in Miami, my adrenalin would start flowing when I pulled over a car with four males. It didn't matter if they were black or white. It's the circumstances of the stop.''

Mount Dora High senior Ray-Paul Torrence said he wished he had been versed in simple non-provoking measures before his first traffic stop. He shares this story:

Dusk had set in when Torrence pulled out of the Wal-Mart parking lot without turning on his headlights. A patrol officer stopped him.

Torrence reached to switch off the ignition.

''Leave the car running,'' the officer barked.

Torrence reached for his wallet.

''What are you doing? Leave everything alone,'' the officer ordered.

Soon, a backup unit showed up. Torrence waited 30 minutes while the initial officer checked his credentials over the radio. Torrence received a warning citation.

''Sometimes, when I drive home at night, cops get real close behind my car and just follow me,'' said Torrence, 18. ''You can see the reflection of the (bubble) lights in the rearview mirror.

''My heart always starts racing. It always bothers me, and it always will. You hear so much about how cops go above the law, especially when they deal with blacks and Hispanics.''

Adults have racing hearts, too.

When traveling from Eustis to Tallahassee, Eustis human services coordinator Alvin Jackson said he always removes his wallet from his briefcase or glove compartment. Jackson said he doesn't want to send off the wrong signals with any sweeping moves if he is stopped by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper.

''There is a reason blacks think this way,'' Jackson said. ''For those who don't understand, it may be just a perception, but to me, it's real.''

Some 11 years have passed since I bought my first car. And I still feel the same way.